Giving Hope to the Genre

From the day after Thanksgiving until the day after Christmas, holiday music is piped into every shopping mall, car dealership, grocery store, dentist’s office and waiting room. Even when you’re on hold, you can’t escape the ubiquitous Christmas renditions of “Walking in a Winter Wonderland” and “Jingle Bells” that make up most holiday playlists. If you’re like us, by the second week of December, you’re ready to stick candy canes in your ears if you hear one more Muzak version of “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.” Luckily, there are some Christmas albums that are actually enjoyable to listen to, not just over the holidays, but year round.

Here are nine Christmas albums that won’t make you cringe, cry or stuff your ears with sugarplums until December 26th: